Syria WatchDue to the dire nature of the situation in Syria, Impunity Watch has elected to dedicate an entire page to following the story as it develops. The information below is culled from a variety of sources and will be updated periodically. Any commentary does not necessarily reflect the views of Impunity Watch. *WARNING SOME VIDEOS MAY CONTAIN GRAPHIC IMAGES*

Syrian Revolution Digest – Monday 23 July 2012

THE COMMENTARY IN THIS PIECE DOES NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF IMPUNITY WATCH.

*WARNING VIDEOS MAY CONTAIN GRAPHIC IMAGES*

Four of Assad’s top aides were killed, and several more injured, still the shelling and killing continue. There’s no denying it anymore: it’s Assad and his brother who are guiding this process. They are the main culprits, and they cannot be pardoned.

Sunday July 22, 2012

Today’s Death toll: 111. The Breakdown: 65 in Damascus and Suburbs, 13 in Daraa, 12 in idlib, 10 in Homs, 7 in Deir Ezzor, 5 in Hama, 3 in Aleppo, 2 in Quneitra, 1 in Lattakia, 1 in Banyas and 1 in Raqqah.

Lee Smith: No Sanctuary for AssadAlmost everything that has unfolded in Syria over the last 16 months was predictable. The White House has failed repeatedly to take advantage of the Syrian dictator’s travails. Now with Assad fighting for his life, it’s time for the administration finally to show a killer instinct. If the regime takes flight from Damascus, it should never be allowed to reach safe haven in Latakia.

Where Can Syria’s Asma Assad Go?As her husband’s reign crumbles, rumors are flying that Syria’s first lady has fled to Russia—a state notorious for sheltering global outlaws.

By shelling the village of Jabatha Al-Khashab in Quneitra Province on the border of Israel, Assad officially violated the ceasefire agreement in place since 1974. The move, however, did not warrant any response from Israel, because Assad was still targeting his own people http://youtu.be/4kBPvt6QGPA

Turks, Kurds, And Al-Qaeda

Kurdish activists say that this video shows Turkish troops arriving in Nusaybinehttp://youtu.be/VA2hctdPel4 The move seems to come in response to the recent takeover by Syrian Kurds of their communities in Syria, rather than to the anything else happening in Syria. No similar response took place when Syrian rebels aided by Al-Qaeda forces took over the border checkpoint of Bab Al-Hawa in the northwest.

Rebel forces gained control of the Bab al-Hawa crossing on Thursday, but on Saturday, a group of some 150 foreign fighters were in control of the post, an AFP photographer said. Some fighters said they belonged to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), while others claimed allegiance to a group called Shura Taliban. They were armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles, rocket launchers and improvised mines.

The world has waited too long, and the wrong forces rose up to fill up the vacuum. Indeed, while trying to downplay the role played by foreighn fighters and Al-Qaed ain Syria, spokesman for the FSA, Col. Malik Kurdi, noted that frustration with the international reposnse towards the situation in Syria and the refusal by the international community to arm the FSA have facilitated the rise of radical elements. But in order to contain this tendency, Col. Kurdi said, the FSA has to include these radical elements in its membership.

A New Twist

Hassam Hassam is a name familiar to those who followed developments related to the assassination of Former Lebanese PM, Rafic Al-Hairir. It’s the name of a Syrian intelligence officer who played a twisted role in the plot and who finally returned to Syria to resume his job. Hassam was captured on Saturday by Syrian rebels in Damascus City following an attack on a security headquarters. Upon his capture, Hassam identified himself and led his captors to a “treasure trove” of documents related to the Hariri assassination and in a video interview with his captors promised more sensational revelations. For their part, his captors promised to send Hassam to Saad Al-Hariri in Beirut as a gifthttp://youtu.be/YtSgAsCV1y8 And here is Haaretz report on this matter.

Video Highlights

Damascus

Several neighborhoods in the Mazzeh District, Damascus City, were pounded today for the third consecutive day http://youtu.be/1Bj4HPPGE6A The neighborhoods that were pounded are close to the Canadian and the Iranian Embassies as well as Al-Razi Hospital. The local cactus groves (cactus is a popular fruit in the summer) were also pounded to prevent rebels from hiding there http://youtu.be/xVCGHi-uOXs , http://youtu.be/uUhTOZNFD2M But pounding was not enough, the regime soon sent in bulldozers to make sure that the groves are destroyed once and for all. Pro-Assad militias executed 20 local activists believe to have supported the rebels http://youtu.be/u2akHXejDrU

Local rebels attack the police headquarters in Khalid Bin Al-Waleed Streetarmed with light weapons in retaliation for the massacre that took place there on Friday http://youtu.be/Z8lKH8NUDgE Here is the brigade patrolling free in the narrow streets of Old Damascus http://youtu.be/8vLsJ04RDZ8

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